NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, has reshuffled his cabinet. He has inducted new Ministers, dropped the Foreign Minister, Mr. Bali Ram Bhagat and re-allocated important port folios. Mr. Buta Singh has been given the pivotal Home Department and Mr. P. Shiv Shankar is the new Foreign Minister. Mr. Gurdial’ Singh: Dhillon returns to the Central cabinet as Agriculture Minister and Mr. Mufti Sayeed gets Tourism which was earlier with Mr. H.K.L. Bhagat. Mr. Santosh Mohan Dev from Assarm also makes his debut as the Central Minister.
In less than one year, Mr. Ganhi has re-shuffled his pack for the third time in an attempt to inject ‘maturity in his adventurist team.
After his disillusionment with the managerial approach of the Doon school Buddies who embarked upon the difficult course of sorting ‘out India’s complex problems like over-confident juveniles going out for a picnic. The dwellers of air conditioned ivory-towers are sad demand wiser today and are increasingly realizing that governance is not their cake. Rajiv is trying to recover from the rude shock by resorting to the experiment of reshuffles, little realizing that reshuffles are no substitute for ideological vacuum.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 16, 1986
